a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a robotic catheter system and method for automated control of a catheter and related components. In particular, the instant invention relates to a robotic catheter system for manipulating a catheter and related components, for example, for diagnostic, therapeutic, mapping and ablative procedures.
b. Background Art
Electrophysiology catheters are used in a variety of diagnostic and/or therapeutic medical procedures to correct conditions such as atrial arrhythmia, including for example, ectopic atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter. Arrhythmia can create a variety of dangerous conditions including irregular heart rates, loss of synchronous atrioventricular contractions and stasis of blood flow which can lead to a variety of ailments and even death. Typically in a procedure, a catheter is manipulated through a patient's vasculature to, for example, a patient's heart, and carries one or more electrodes which can be used for mapping, ablation, diagnosis, or other treatments. Once at the intended site, treatment can include radio frequency (RF) ablation, cryoablation, lasers, chemicals, high-intensity focused ultrasound, etc. An ablation catheter imparts such ablative energy to cardiac tissue to create a lesion in the cardiac tissue. This lesion disrupts undesirable electrical pathways and thereby limits or prevents stray electrical signals that lead to arrhythmias. As readily apparent, such treatment requires precise control of the catheter during manipulation to and at the treatment site, which can invariably be a function of a user's skill level. The inventors herein have thus recognized a need for a system and method for precise and dynamic automated control of a catheter and its related components, for example, for diagnostic, therapeutic, mapping and ablative procedures, that will minimize and/or eliminate procedural variability due to a user's skill level. The inventors herein have also recognized a need for a system and method for performing user-specified procedures at the patient site or from a remote location.
Remote catheter navigation/guidance systems for remote robotic surgical procedures allow physicians to guide multiple catheters placed in the patient's body remotely from the control room/panel. These systems allow the physician to be outside the radiation field of fluoroscopy and perform complex and therefore lengthy EP procedures, such as catheter ablation, while sitting on a chair instead of standing up by the bedside as in a manual operation, thereby reducing physician fatigue. 3D mapping and visualization systems such as EnSite NavX™ from St. Jude Medical, Inc. allow a 3D anatomical map of the cardiac chambers to be created, allowing the physician to visualize the catheters in various cardiac chambers throughout the procedure as well as to map the arrhythmia origins. The user interface for a remote surgical catheter guidance system and 3D mapping and visualization systems typically comprise displays, keyboards, and a (3D) mouse. Such robotic surgical systems also use input devices, which allow the physician to articulate the remote catheter motion. These solutions add to the clutter in the EP labs with numerous instruments requiring multiple keyboards, displays, and mice. Furthermore, such robotic systems attempt to provide intuitive control interfaces with the use of special 3D input devices, which require physician training in how best to manipulate the input device to articulate the desired catheter motion.